1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a photosensitive image forming material and a method of image formation using the same. More particularly, it relates to a photosensitive image forming material comprising a transparent support having thereon, a poly(vinyl alcohol) layer, an alcohol soluble polyamide layer and a photosensitive resin composition layer which is developable with an aqueous developing agent, these three layers being provided on the support in this order and with at least one of the poly(vinyl alcohol) layer or the photosensitive resin composition layer containing a colorant. This invention also relates to an image forming method using the member described above or one of a similar structure thereto except that the polyamide layer is not present, comprising image exposure and development with an aqueous developing agent whereby soluble portions of the photosensitive resin composition layer are removed in conjunction with the corresponding portions of the poly(vinyl alcohol) layer by the aqueous developing agent to form a visible image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, in preparing printing plates, photographically cut-out masks, the so-called "peel masks", have been widely used for the purpose of exposing to light only necessary portions and masking unnecessary portions for "correction" or copying portions of the original. Preparation or cut-out of such a "peel mask", however, has required high concentration on the (cut-out) mask, and is quite time-consuming, too.
An improved method of peel mask preparation exists which comprises imagewise exposure, development, rinsing, drying, etching, rinsing and drying. However, such a method is very complicated, and simpler methods have been desired.
In the past, light-sensitive members containing a colorant (i.e., including dyes and pigments) and comprising a transparent support, an organic solvent-soluble, organic high polymer layer and a photo-hardenable photopolymer layer are well known in the art, and such materials are disclosed, for example, in Japanese patent application (OPI) No. 16124/1972 (the term "OPI" as used herein refers to a "published unexamined Japanese patent application") (corresponding to British Pat. No. 1,385,241; and Canadian Pat. No. 993,709). However, these light-sensitive members exhibit an unsatisfactory stripping performance since the image areas of the hardened photopolymer coating can not readily be separated from the support at the boundary between the underlying solvent-soluble, organic high polymer layer and the support, while, on the other hand, the adhesion between the photopolymer coating and the solvent-soluble, organic high polymer layer is not sufficiently firm. Moreover, in order to develop the photopolymer layer and to remove the organic solvent-soluble organic high polymer layer, an organic solvent or a mixture containing an organic solvent had to be used and this tends to be hazardous to human health as well as to give rise to pollution problems.